The First Verdict by the International Criminal Court

ICC buildings at the Hague, the Netherlands

This commentary discusses the first issued verdict of the International Criminal Court, in the case of Prosecutor vs Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who was found unanimously guilty of war crimes involving children and armed conflict. The author notes the importance of this case for the EU, which has a strong interest in the success of the Court, and states that mistakes made during the trial can be taken as lessons for the prevention of similar errors in future proceedings. In particular, this concerns the Court’s practice of hiring intermediaries and ensuring that evidence gathered by them is reliable.